RLS diagnosis for stiffness in trunk, neck, shoulders, arms?

[angela4507]

In 2002 I suffered a serious bout of viral enchephalitis.  Ramifications of that since have been mild brain injury, RLS, peripheral neuropathy, migraines, double vision, hallucinations when under a lot of stress, depression and others.

My question is this.  I have been having incidents of pain in my neck, shoulders, back and eventually spreads to arms and legs and is followed by severe stiffness of muscles that have sometimes left me bedbound for days.  My neurologist is treating me with Mirapex ( I am currently up to 1 mg three times daily and the effects are again wearing off and will need to be increased again.  All my neurologist has diagnosed me with is Neuropathy and she says the Mirapex is for my restless legs....??  Can restless legs syndrome cause stiffening of muscles.  I am very confused and would appreciate any comments you might have for me.

Thank you.

[mineandours]

HI.  Here's my 2 cents. I believe we have to consider all possibilities when it comes to our health and I'm sure others will come along with other suggestions.  I had many of the symptoms you describe and after two years, 14 doctors, etc. it turned out to be neurological Lyme disease. I don't recall a bite nor did I get the rash but I had a flaming case of it. You have to find a Lyme specialist to test for it and its co-infections, though. Good luck, Carol

Musculoskeletal System
Joint pain or swelling or tenderness
Stiffness of joints, back, neck
Muscle pain or cramps
Bone pain

Neurological System
Tremors or unexplained shaking (especially at night)
Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
Weakness or partial paralysis/stroke-like symptoms
Pressure in the head
Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
Increased motion sickness
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Sudden jerking of fingers or entire limbs
Pain in spinal column

General Well-being
Unexplained weight gain, loss
Extreme fatigue
Swollen glands
Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
Symptoms seem to change, come and go
Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
Early on, experienced a "flu-like" illness, after which you have not since felt well.  (If it was mild, you may not even recall this.)

Eyes/Vision
Double, blurry or dim vision
Increased floating spots
Pain in/behind eyes, or swelling around eyes
Over sensitivity to light
Flashing lights
Optic neuritis

Ears/Hearing
Decreased hearing in one or both ears
Buzzing or clicking noises in ears
Pain in ears or sound sensitivity
Ringing in one or both ears
Pressure or feeling of fullness in ears

Digestive and Excretory Systems
Diarrhea, irritable bowel
Constipation
Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping)
Frequent urination that is not normal
Upset stomach (nausea or pain)

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Shortness of breath, cough
Chest pain or rib soreness
Night sweats or unexplained chills
Heart palpitations or extra beats
Heart blockage

Psychological well-being
Mood swings, irritability, rage
Unusual depression
Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
Feeling as if you are losing your mind
Overemotional reactions, crying easily
Too much sleep, or insomnia
Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Mental Capability
Memory loss (short or long term)
Confusion, difficulty in thinking, brain fog
Difficulty with concentration or reading
Going to the wrong place
Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
Stammering speech
Forgetting how to perform simple tasks

Head, Face, Neck
Unexplained hair loss
Headaches, mild or severe
Twitching of facial or other muscles
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Tingling of nose, cheek or face
Stiff or painful neck or creaking
Jaw pain or stiffness
TMJ – sudden onset, jaw spasms
Sore throat, hoarseness
Loss of sense of taste
Difficulty swallowing, throat spasms

Females only:
Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity
Unexplained breast pain, discharge

Males only:
Testicular or pelvic pain

LYME FACTS
1. You do not have to recall a bite or have gotten the target rash to have Lyme disease. Less than 50% of people with Lyme do.
2. The tick that carries Lyme is as small as the period at the end of this sentence and their nymphs are nearly microscopic.  Ticks are on the move at 35ş and above. It’s a year-round problem.
3. You do not have to experience ALL of these symptoms to have Lyme disease.  It is also typical for many of these symptoms to come and go or occur once and never occur again.
4. It is possible to have Lyme disease and have a negative test result.  After Lyme bacteria enters your system, it tricks your immune system into no longer producing antibodies to fight it, hence, a negative test result. There are also other numerous factors that can affect the results.
5. Lyme bacteria hide in the spinal fluid, bone, tendons, muscle and nerve fibers and tissues and in many cases are not “floating” around in the bloodstream where they can be picked up on a test. It is a cousin to the syphilis bacteria and very difficult to eradicate.
6. It takes a LYME SPECIALIST to diagnose, test for and treat Lyme disease and any of its associated co-infections. To find one go to www.LymeNet.org.
or www.ilads.org.  Lyme specialists do not require a referral.  

NOTE: Everyone may have symptoms that appear on this list; however, it does not mean he/she has Lyme disease.  If one has numerous symptoms on this list and no other explanation for them, consider Lyme.

[angela4507]

Thank you so much for replying!!  I am going to contact and see if I can get an evaluation right away.

When you mention Lyme Disease, that is what the Dr's first suspected when encephalitis was diagnosed, but the Lyme test came back negative?  Now I read this and see so many of the same things and it may finally put an end to my trying to figure out what is going on.

I appreciate your comment greatly and will let you know what I find out!  Thank you!

Angie